In the moonlit shadows, two figures stood side by side. One, a woman with ethereal white hair, piercing red eyes, and a complexion as pale as the moonlight itself.
Beside her stood a man with dark brown hair, his gaze a fierce shade of dark red. In one hand, he wielded a formidable scythe, while a sickle hung at his waist, completing the ominous duo in the moonlit tableau.
Before a quaint cabin, the two figures approached and gazed through the window. Inside, a woman hummed a sweet melody, staying close to the warmth of the fire, cradling her baby in a tender embrace. The scene exuded a poignant sweetness, capturing a moment of tranquil beauty.
"Here," the man said, handing both the scythe and sickle to the woman. With weapons in hand, he knocked on the door, while the woman seamlessly melded into the shadows, awaiting the unfolding of their mysterious agenda.
The mother carefully placed her baby on the chair and approached the door, opening it slightly. "May I help you?" she inquired. The man flashed a disarming smile. "Oh, yes. You see, my wagon wheel broke, and I was wondering if your husband could lend a hand." Despite his friendly demeanor, the mother sensed a subtle tension, observing the man's posture with a wary eye, ready to assert her strength if necessary.
"Honey! This man needs your help," called the woman as her husband joined her at the door. "Is there something I can help with?" he asked. The mysterious man spoke again, "As I said, my wagon's wheel broke, and I need an extra hand to fix it. I'll pay if you could help." The husband hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Thank you, mister," the man expressed his gratitude.
Both men left, and the mother closed the door behind them, shutting out the biting cold. She returned to the warmth of her home, settling into a chair and cradling her baby once more, the sweet hum of the lullaby resuming in the tranquil air.
The door creaked open, and the woman turned, expecting her husband, but it wasn't him; it was the mysterious woman. Startled, she rose from the chair. "Who... who are you?" she stammered.
"Now, now, shush. You can scream, or you can give me some information," the woman stated calmly, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the once peaceful home.
"Can I at least put my baby to bed?" the mother pleaded, but the mysterious intruder remained silent. With a sinister grin, she denied the request "nah". Soon, two men entered the house—Malachi, the one with the scythe, and Gideon, the one clad in minimal armor. The orchestrators of the unfolding events had revealed themselves—Eva, Malachi, and Gideon.
The mother's eyes widened in horror as she witnessed her husband being dragged across the floor by Malachi, who callously threw him towards her. "Honey!?" she exclaimed, realizing her husband was now unconscious.
"You're lucky he's not dead," Malachi remarked, an ominous edge to his words. "Sit," commanded Gideon, adding a layer of coercion to the unfolding ordeal.
The four of them sat down, the mother holding her baby in her arms while her unconscious husband lay on the chair. Eva's gaze roamed the room before fixating on the nervous mother. "We just want some information," she declared. Malachi produced a revolver, handing it to Eva, who then pointed it at the woman's chest, where she cradled her baby, intensifying the tense atmosphere in the room.
"Now, I know you have nothing to do with this, but you know something about what we are looking for. Now, who did you sell the book to?" Eva demanded, but the mother remained silent.
In an unsettling turn, Eva aimed the gun at the ceiling and fired, startling the baby, prompting it to begin crying. The room filled with tension, the mother caught in a web of fear and silence.
The mother, with tears streaming down her face, stammered, "I don't—" Before she could finish, Eva fired two more times, each gunshot amplifying the mother's distress, as the echoes of the shots hung in the air. The room now gripped in a chilling silence, the mother's resolve wavered under the pressure.
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"What if it was your child? Getting taken from their home and forced to breed with monsters, HUH?!" Eva's voice echoed with frustration as she slammed her fist on the table. The mother, already frightened, became even more shaken by the intensity of the situation. The weight of the moral dilemma hung heavy in the room.
Despite Eva's apparent indifference, she sensed the mother's concern for the children. In response, the mother reluctantly wrote something on a piece of paper, a silent plea in the face of a harrowing choice.
Malachi picked up the paper, and Eva remarked, "It wasn't that hard, was it now?" The mother, still wiping away her tears, remained trapped in a cruel dance between fear and empathy. The room held a lingering heaviness, a testament to the anguish that unfolded within its walls.
The mother, still wiping away tears, averted her gaze. Suddenly, Eva swiftly got up, startling the mother, and aimed the revolver at her. The room tensed with fear, but as Eva pulled the trigger, there were only clicks.
"Damn it! Gun jammed," Eva cursed, frustrated. Gideon and Malachi both smacked her on the back of her head. "We're not supposed to kill them, dumbass," Malachi scolded, receiving a nod of agreement from Gideon. Eva rubbed the back of her head and turned to them, saying, "You both aren't fun." While pouting.
The trio left the cabin, leaving the mother alone, still soothing her crying baby amidst the aftermath of a harrowing encounter. The echoes of the unsettling events lingered in the air as the once tranquil home was now marked by shadows of fear and unanswered questions.
***
Malachi, Gideon, and Eva arrived at the designated location noted. A dilapidated brick building emerged from the midst of the forest, the falling snow adding a layer of haunting beauty to the desolate surroundings.
As they approached the entrance, two guards stood vigilant, yet unaware of their presence.
"Eva, you're up," declared Gideon, cracking his neck in anticipation. "Should I go with the lost girl act?" Eva asked, seeking confirmation from Malachi and Gideon, who both nodded in agreement.
Eva took a deep breath, summoning her acting skills, and began walking toward the guards with a convincing expression of fear painted on her face. Every step she took added to the authenticity of her portrayal as a lost and frightened girl.
Eva took a deep breath, summoning her acting skills, and began walking toward the guards with a convincing expression of fear painted on her face. Every step she took added to the authenticity of her portrayal as a lost and frightened girl.
"M-Mister, could you help me? I'm lost," Eva whimpered, her voice trembling as she shed fake tears, her performance flawless.
"Leave this place, NOW!" one of the guards bellowed, causing Eva to feign being startled and intimidated by the sudden outburst, further selling her act.
"We could have some fun-" Before the guard could finish his sentence, he was abruptly cut off as a barrier materialized and crushed him, reducing him to a small marble of blood. Eva swiftly caught the marble and turned her gaze to the other guard, who was now visibly frightened by the sudden and mysterious turn of events.
With a determined expression, Eva forced the marble into the mouth of the terrified guard. As soon as he swallowed it, she snapped her fingers, triggering a release of the barrier that caused the guards inside the building to explode in a burst of gruesome destruction. The scene was both terrifying and awe-inspiring as Eva demonstrated her control over the deadly power at her command.
Turning to Malachi and Gideon, Eva's expression remained composed as she addressed them. "Shall we go inside?" With a nod of agreement, they proceeded into the building, bracing themselves for whatever awaited them within its ominous walls.
Within minutes, blood began to spill, drenching the walls, floor, and ceiling in a horrifying display of violence. Bodies piled up as Malachi wielded his scythe, its blade enveloped in a menacing purple flame that sliced through multiple enemies with lethal precision.
Despite their attempts to extinguish the flames, the inferno persisted, consuming their foes and inflicting unimaginable agony as they were burned alive. The scene was a chaotic symphony of destruction, with Malachi's relentless onslaught leaving no mercy in its wake.
Despite Gideon's unassuming appearance, his agility and mastery of the sword made him a formidable adversary, striking down his enemies with swift and precise movements that belied his outward demeanor.
Eva, with her mastery of barrier manipulation, wielded a power that made her a force to be reckoned with. Her ability to shape barriers into various forms allowed her to create defensive shields, deadly weapons, or even intricate constructs on the fly, making her a versatile and unpredictable combatant in any situation.
At the end of the grueling battle, only the trio remained standing amidst the sea of bodies strewn across the battlefield. Malachi, with a snap of his fingers, extinguished the flames that had engulfed the area, leaving behind a haunting silence broken only by the echoes of their victory and the weight of their losses.
"What the hell are you doing?" Gideon questioned, watching with disapproval as Eva began to loot the bodies. "Stealing their shit, it's not like they're gonna need it," Eva retorted, her grin unapologetic as she continued her scavenging. "What do we have here?" she added, her eyes gleaming with anticipation as she inspected her findings.
Eva examined the bracelet she had retrieved from one of the corpses, admiring its golden hue and the shimmering blue jewel at its center. Meanwhile, Malachi let out a tired yawn, prompting Gideon to inquire about the cause of his exhaustion.
"The boss's daughter was so annoying today," Malachi grumbled in response, eliciting a knowing nod from Gideon.
Curious, Gideon turned to Eva. "Hey Eva, what's up with your daughter?" he asked.
Eva shrugged indifferently. "How should I care? It's not like I'm able to care for her. I have no emotions," she replied matter-of-factly, her tone devoid of any sentiment.
***
As the trio walked, Eva paused to watch a group of children playing nearby. Absently, she looked at them with lust, she bit her lip. Sensing her distraction, Gideon swiftly intervened, delivering a sharp chop to the back of her neck, snapping her back to attention.
"I'm just looking," Eva protested, her tone defensive as Gideon regarded her with a mixture of disappointment and disgust.
"I don't know what the boss sees in you," Malachi remarked skeptically.
"I'm useful, besides we all have our roles in this," Eva replied confidently.
"Well, since the job is done, I'm going to get my reward from Master," she announced with a smile, clapping her hands together before walking off to claim her reward. Malachi watched her departure with a mix of resignation and disdain, pondering her place in their group.